Gamescom Leaders Discuss Opportunities for Expansion and the Importance of Politics in Gaming

"Gamescom has experienced significant growth this year," notes Tim Endres, the event's director. "With over 1,500 exhibitors from 72 countries, it's more international than ever before." As the largest gaming event in the world, Gamescom has consistently drawn large crowds, including 335,000 visitors last year. While final visitor numbers for 2025 are still pending, Endres is optimistic that they may surpass last year's figure. "The numbers look promising," he says. However, it's not just about the physical presence at the event. Endres highlights the significance of Gamescom Opening Night Live and Gamescom Studio, which broadcasts highlights from the show worldwide in partnership with IGN. "Today, Gamescom is a hybrid event – equally digital and physical," he explains. Given the physical show floor's massive size, equivalent to 30 football fields and occupying nearly the entire Koelnmesse exhibition center, it's challenging to see how the physical aspect of Gamescom can expand further. Nevertheless, the event has tremendous potential to grow its digital presence. Felix Falk, managing director of the German Games Industry Association (Game) and co-organizer of Gamescom, reports "substantial growth" for Opening Night Live this year. "Based on early figures, we're seeing a 30, 40, or 50% increase in concurrent viewers," he notes. When asked about the cost for publishers to secure a slot on Opening Night Live, Falk responds that it's free. "You can place advertisements, but the majority of the content is free, regardless of whether you're a AAA or indie title. As long as your content is exceptional, Geoff will include it in the show at no cost." The only condition is that participants must be present at Gamescom. "A perfect example is Lego Batman, which was newly released, and the audience loved it. The next day, people could play it at the booth," Falk explains. Endres adds that, for the first time, Gamescom Studio is being localized for the Chinese and Japanese markets this year. He's eager to gauge the reaction to the content in these regions. Additionally, there are satellite shows like Gamescom Latam in Brazil and Gamescom Asia in Thailand. "We have significant growth potential in Sao Paulo and Bangkok," Falk says, citing the 30% growth already seen in Gamescom Latam. Beyond mere growth, Endres aims to enhance the quality of the Gamescom experience, including the quality of partners and the experience for fans. "We want to meet their needs at Gamescom," he emphasizes. "Growth is one aspect, but it's not the only consideration." With the demise of E3, Gamescom's importance in the industry calendar has increased. "Gamescom has always been the largest gaming festival in the world, regardless of E3's presence," Falk asserts. "Now, without E3, it's even more our responsibility to create the best platform for the entire industry." Endres notes that the COVID pandemic was a pivotal period for Gamescom, which managed to maintain momentum throughout. "We took place every year during the pandemic, never losing contact with the community and industry, which helped us gain a leading position." "It was a challenging time," Falk adds, "but we invested heavily to explore the hybrid world, and that has given us a stronger position now." There was a time when people questioned the need for physical events, given the dominance of digital events during the COVID era. However, Endres believes the opposite proved true. "I think COVID was a significant booster in realizing the importance of physical events," he says. "Purely digital showcases cannot replace a physical event like Gamescom, as people want to interact with games, the community, and each other, which is what Gamescom is all about." Felix Falk highlights a special segment in Opening Night Live that featured three games focused on engaging with democracy. "We had Jörg Friedrich, a member of our team, on stage, and he's always created games around historical topics and democracy." Friedrich, the head of Paintbucket Games and creator of The Darkest Files, discussed the role games can play in strengthening democracy. "I found that moment truly emotional," Falk says. "It's the beauty of our industry, where many people are trying to make the world better through games." Rather than avoiding politics in video games, Falk welcomes the trend of games becoming more political. "I come from a political background, having worked at the Bundestag, and I believe games are inherently political, whether intentionally or not," he says. "As the most influential art form and the heart of pop culture, we have a responsibility to be political and acknowledge our influence on millions of people worldwide." Falk also appreciates the support the German government is offering to the country's gaming industry. "Yesterday, we had a roundtable discussion with top CEOs, including Yves Guillemot and Sarah Bond, to make Germany an attractive location for the gaming industry, not just during Gamescom in August, but throughout the year," he notes. While German politicians officially opened Gamescom, Falk acknowledges that it can be challenging to get them engaged with the gaming industry. "It's easy to get them to attend and be impressed by the festival, but it's harder to make them understand the industry's needs and how to support our growth," he says. The German games industry requires similar support to other regions, such as better tax breaks. Despite a 6% drop in player spending in 2024, the German games market has reported 4% growth in the first half of 2025. Falk is pleased with the government's support, citing the increased public subsidies from €50 million to €125 million for next year. After a tough few years, the games industry is showing encouraging signs of growth in Germany, and for Gamescom.